John O'Boyle/The Star-LedgerJets center Nick Mangold, pictured last season, doesn't like the smell of the Brick City.

NEWARK — Jets Pro Bowl center Nick Mangold is a popular figure among Gang Green fans in the Garden State, but he might have made a few enemies Wednesday when he tweeted about the smell of the state's largest city.

"Best part of driving back to NJ rather than flying even if it's a 9 hour trip instead of 1.5 hours? Not having 2 go thru the stank of Newark," Mangold said just after 10 p.m. on his Twitter account @nickmangold.

Mangold, who grew up in Ohio but now lives in Chatham, according to a 2008 Star-Ledger story, spent the next hour on Twitter engaging fans about the perceived stench of the Brick City — as well as making sure angry followers knew he was just joking.

"it's not jersey that smells. It's Newark. I quite enjoy NJ," Mangold clarified to a follower who called him out. He tweeted similar praise for the state in a number of replies.

He even jabbed Newark's tweet-happy Mayor Cory Booker, tweeting to a follower, "I think @corybooker would have to agree. Otherwise he should get his sense of smell checked."

Booker tweeted on Wednesday: "Clean air victory! New filters 4 garbage incinerator in #Newark E. Ward 2 improve air 4 r kids. After years of pushing - success achieved!" Turns out that was mere coincidence, though, as it was sent hours before Mangold's tweet.

The mayor, who has 14,000 tweets and over a million followers, has yet to reply.

New Jersey has long been the butt of jokes about bad odors, most often because the stretch of Turnpike leading to Newark Liberty International Airport and into New York run parallel to refineries that give the air an unmistakable musk.